Laundry system



2 Sheets-Sheet l H. KOPLIN LAUNDRY SYSTEM flan-far Harry ffop/in July 17,1962

Filed Aug. 5, 1958 July 17, 1962 H. KOPLIN LAUNDRY SYSTEM Filed Aug. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ezazzfar Harry Kop/l'n BU @XQLEEE Unite Staea ate This invention relates to improvements in laundry machines and more particularly relates to an improved apparatus and system for supplying washing solutions to laundry machines and the like.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus and system for supplying washing chemicals to laundry machines and the like, facilitating the uniform proportioningof the chemicals and avoiding the liability of contacting the clothes with concentrated chemicals.

Another object of the invention is to provide a formula control for laundry machines and the like arranged with a view toward increasing the speed of filling and dumping the laundry machine and assuring a uniform proportioning of the washing solution prior to dumping in the laundry machine tub.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus and system for supplying concentrated chemicals for mixing prior to dumping in the laundry machine tub, in which the supply, mixing and dumping of the washing solution is all under the control of the program timer for the laundry machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and system for supplying washing solutions to laundry machines, so arranged as to avoid the contact of the concentrated washing chemicals with the air and to accommodate the dispensing of the washing chemicals directly from sealed supply drums therefor.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pressurized system for supplying concentrated chemicals for Washing solutions without contacting the chemicals with air, and for pre-mixing the washing solutions prior to dumping in the laundry machine tub, all under the control of the program timer for the laundry machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus and system for supplying Washing solutions to laundry machines in which the individual concentrated chemicals are supplied in sealed drums and delivered for pre-mixing in measured amounts at selected time intervals all under the control of the program timer for the washing machine, and in which the pre-mixed washing solutions are instantaneously dumped from the pre-mixing tank to the washing machine tub under the control of the program timer for the washing machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simplified and improved laundry machine particularly adapted for commercial operations, in which a mixing tank extends along the laundry machine tub for dumping mixed washing solutions to the tub by gravity, and in which a dump valve extends for substantially the length of the premixing tank and tub to assure the instantaneous dis charge of the pre-mixed washing solutions to the laundry machine tub, thoroughly emptying the pre-rnixing tank and enabling the same pro-mixing tank to be used for various washing solutions without the usual cleansing thereof. 1

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved laundry machine having a more efficient form of dump valve arrangement, so arranged as to instantaneously dump washing solutions to the washing machine tub and efiect instantaneous discharge of spent washing solution from the tub along the length thereof.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a formula control system constructed in accordance with the invention, illustrating the adaptation of the system to supply the required washing chemicals to a series of laundry machines;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of the system shown in FIGURE 1, showing the laundry machine and its pro-mixing washing solution tank in side elevation; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a form of dump valve that may be used to dump pre-mixed washing solution into the laundry machine tub and to dump spent washing solution from the tub.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, for the purposes of illustrating my invention, I have shown three laundry or washing machines 10. The laundry machines 10 may each be of a conventional design having an elongated generally cylindrical outer casing or tub 11 having a clothes container 12, contained therein. The clothes container 12 may have a generally cylindrical perforate wall and may be rotatably or oscillatably driven within the casing 11 through an electric motor and suitable reduction gearing (not shown), in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or described in detail.

I have also shown an elongated pre-mixing tank 13* for each laundry machine 10. Each pre-mixing tank 13 is mounted on and extends along the top and side of the casing 11 for the laundry machine 10 and discharges premixed washing solution into the casing '11 and clothes 5 container 12 by gravity through an inlet opening 15, in

, the wall of the casing 11.

23, 24, and respectively, which are in turn connected with individual measuring pumps 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 respectively, mounted on the pre-mixing tank 13 and having fluid communication therewith for delivering measured quantities of concentrated\washing chemicals for mixing with water in the pre-mixing tank 13 under the control of a timer 31. The timer 31 may be a program timer of a type in which a formula sheet is perforated in a definite pattern to produce the mixing and washing operations in a sequence determined by the fabric and washing formula, and determines the sequence of the washing operations. An exemplary form of timer is shown and described in the patent to Ellis No. 2,504,013, dated April 11, 1950 and no'part of the present invention so not herein shown or described in detail.

The pre-mixing tank 13 has a steam coil 32 therein and extending therealong for substantially the length thereof for maintaining the washing solution in said pre-mixing tank at the required temperature. It also has two water level floats 3'5 and 36 therein and a water valve 37, which may be a mixing valve for supplying hot, cold or tempered water to the pre-mixing tank 13 at the selection of the operator of the machine. The valve 37 may be a sole noid controlled mixing valve, such as is shown and described in Patent No. 2,889,113 which issued to Kozel et al. on June 2, 1959, and no part of the present invention so not herein shown or described in detail. Said valve may be initially opened under the control of the timer 31 when the timer 31 is turned on and may be closed under the control of either a low level float 3:6 or a high level float 35 in accordance with the level of water to be maintained in the pre-mixing tank, for the required chemical to be mixed in said pre-mixing tank for discharge through the wall of the casing 11 into the clothes container FIGURE 2 as being adjacent the bottom thereof, for mixing theconcentrated chemical with water in said premixing tank, to provide the required washing solution. The agitator 89 is shown as being in the form of a propeller on the lowerend of a shaft 40 driven from the motor 38 mounted on the top wall or" the mixing tank 13.

A dump valve 41 extending for substantially the length of the pre-mixing tank 13 is shown as controlling the dumping of mixed washing solution from said pre-mixing tank into the casing 11 and clothes container-12 through I the inlet opening 15 in the wall of said casing. A'similar dump valve 42' extending for substantially the length of the casing 11 is shown as dumping spent wash water from said container and the clothes container 12;. The dump valves 41 and 42 are of the same construction so one only need herein be described. The dump valves 41. and 42 are herein shown as being inflatable valves made from rubber or one of the well known substitutes for rubber, and operate on principles similar to the valve shown and described in my Patent No. 2,984,448, dated May 16, 1961.

The valve 41 is contained within a generally cylindrical conduit 43' extending for substantially the length of the pro-mixing tank 13 and opening into said pre-mixing tank through an inlet passageway 44 extending for substantially the length of the conduit 43 and for dumping mixed washing solution through the inlet opening 15 into the container 11 and tub 12 when the valve 41 is open. The .valve 41 is generally in the form of a tube closed at its ends and cylindrical in form when inflated, and is shown as being held in place when deflated by a series of rods 45 mounted in end plates 48 for the valve. An air inlet 46 opening through an end plate 48 for the valve is provided to inflate said valve under the control of an air valve 47, which may be a 4-way solenoid operated valve and may be controlled by the program timer 31 in a suitable manner, which is no part of the present invention so need not herein be shown or described further. Upon inflation of the valve 41, the valve will assume its cylindrical form closing the inlet 44 into the cylindrical chamber 43 and also closing the inlet opening 15 into the casing 11, the pressure of the washing solution on said valve, sealing the valve closed, as shown and described in my aforementioned application Serial No. 795,698, now Patent 2,984,448.

The casing 11 has an outlet opening 49 extending along the bottom thereof and in communication with a conduit 50, extending for substantially the length of said casing and having the inflatable valve 42 therein. The conduit 50 has an outlet 52 extending along the bottom thereof: for substantially the length thereof, to accommodate the instantaneous dumping of spent washing solution from the casing 11.

The valve 42 is inflated by air under pressure connected with said valve through a pressure line 53 leading from the 4-way valve 47. The valve 47 may be operated in predetermined cycles of the washing operation to release air from the valve 4-1 and effect the instantaneous dumping of mixed washing solution from the pre-mixing tank 13 to the tub 12 at one phase of the washing operation and torelease air from the valve 42 and effect the dumping of spent wash water from the clothes container 12 and casing 11 at another phase of the washing operation.

Referring now in particular to the novel form of chemical supply means of my invention, each drum 16, 17,

18,19 and is adapted to contain a difierent concen trated chemical, for supply to the connected supply tanks 21, 22, 23, 24 and in accordance with the washing cycle in effect.

For example, the drum 16 may contain soap or detergent and may be-colored red to match an associated 4. red supply tank 21 to assure the connection of the correct drum in the supply circuit to the correct supply tank. The drum 17 may contain a concentrated souring chemical and may be painted white to match a white supply tank 22. i p

The drum 18 may contain a bleaching chemical and maybe painted green to match a green supply tank 23.

in a like manner, the drum 19 may contain a concentrated bluing chemical and maybe painted blue to match a blue'supply tank 24, while the drum tank 20 may contain a concentrated alkali or soda and may be painted yellow to match a yellow supply tank 25.

The drums 16, 17, 1-8, 19 and 20 are sealed drums when placed in position with respect to the associated supply tanks 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 and are pressurized by air under pressure through a main air line 55 under the control of a reducing valve 56 and individual connecting lines 57 connected with said main air line. The supply lines 57 may have connection with the individual supply drums through quick detachable connectors 59, which may be .of any well known form, so are not herein shown or described in detail,

The drums 16, 17, 18,19 and 20 are connected with the respective supply tanks 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 through individual supply lines 60 connected with the associated supply tankthrough quick detachable connectors 61, which may be like the connectors 59. The supply tanks 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 are pressurized through a branch air line 63 having a reducing valve 64- therein and connected with the respective supply tanks 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 through pressure lines 65. 'I'hepressure of air in the branch line '63 and the supply tanks connected thereto may be reduced by the reducing valve 64, to a lower pressure than the air pressure in the connecting lines 57, to accommodate air in the supply drums 16, 17, 18 19 and 20 to force concentrated chemicals into the respective supply tanks 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25, from which supply tanks, concentrated chemicals may be forced through supply lines 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70 respectively, to the respective metering pumps 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 for discharge into the mixing tanks 13 at the proper cycle of operation of the laundry machine. 9 The washing chemicals are thus transferred from the supply drums to the associated supply tanks, and from the associated supply tanks to the associated metering pumps, mounted on the pre-mixing tank 13, by air under pressure, and the amount of concentrated chemical delivered to the pre-mixing tank is determined by the associated measuring pump.

The measuring pumps 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 may be of any Well known form, delivering a measured quantity of chemicals to the premixing tank 13 and may be driven by individual motors for predetermined time intervals or from a common cam shaft, and form no part of the present invention except insofar as they measure the chemicals for mixture with water to provide the required washing solution, so need only be shown diagrammatically herein. It should here be understood that if desired, metering valves such as are shown and described in Patent No. 2,918,803 dated December 29, 1951, may be substituted for the metering pumps to meter fixed volumes' of chemicals into the pro-mixing tanks.

It may be seen from the foregoing that I have provided anew and improved formula control system for laundry machines and the like in which concentrated chemicals. for the required washing operations are supplied by air under pressure and in which the chemicals are measured for pre-mixing under the control of the program timer for the laundry machine.

It may further be seen thatthe chemicals being premixed before delivery to the washing machine casing and clothes container, assure the delivery of a uniform. mixture of chemicals to the washing machine casing and clothes container and obviate the danger of contacting the clothes with concentrated chemical solutions.

It may further be seen that the various chemicals are supplied in separate supply drums, each one being sealed and colored to match an associated supply tank, to assure the connection of the proper supply drum to its associated supply tank, and that the chemicals are always sealed as delivered to the supply room for connection with "the supply tank and as delivered from the supply tanks to the laundry machine pre-mixing tank, eliminating the possibility of the wasting supplies by transferring them from their supply drums, and assuring that the supplies will also be delivered individually and never mixed.

'It may still further be seen that the collapsible valves 41 and 42 extending for the length of the pre-mixing tank and the laundry machine tub, respectively, assure instantaneous dumping of the pre-mixing tank and tub and eliminate the necessity of rinsing out the pre-mixing tank or the casing 11 and clothes container 12 between washing operations, and eifect a material saving in the time of dumping the pre-mixing tank and 'thecasing 11.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention may be embodied, it should be understood that various modifications and variations in the invention may be eflected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof, as defined by claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a laundry machine of the character described, an elongated casing having a clothes container rotatably mounted therein, means for supplying washing solution to said casing and clothes container comprising a sealed drum for a concentrated washing chemical, an air pressure connection to said drum for supplying air under pressure thereto, a supply tank for concentrated washing chemical, a fluid connection from said drum to said tank, an air pressure connection to said tank supplying air under pressure to said supply tank at a lower pressure than the pressure of air supplied to said drum, an elongated pre-mixing tank-for mixing concentrated chemical with water, means for supplying water to said pre-mixing tank, a dump valve extending substantially the length of said pre-mixing tank above said casing and having communication therewith for dumping the mixed washing solution to said casing, a chemical measuring device connecting said supply tank With'said pre-mixing tank for supplying a predetermined quantity of chemical thereto in a preselected cycle of Washing, and a dump valve extending for the length of said casing for dumping spent wash water therefrom in predetermined sequences in the cycle of a washing operation.

2. In a laundry machine of the character described, an elongated casing having a clothes container therein, means for supplying washing solution to said casing and clothes container comprising a series of sealed supply drums for diflerent concentrated Washing chemicals, a separate supply tank associated with each supply drum and having fluid connection therewith, means for supplying air under pressure to said drums to force chemicals from said drums to flow to said supply tanks, to supply said tanks with concentrated washing chemical, a chemical measuring device associated with each supply tank, means for supplying air under pressure to said supply tanks at a lower pressure than the pressure of the air supplied to said supply drums for supplying concentrated chemical to said measuring'device, a pre-mixing tank in communication with said measuring devices, whereby measured amounts of washing chemical may be supplied to said pre-mixing tank at predetermined phases in the cycle of a washing operation, and a dump valve extending along said pre-mixing tank and having communication with said casing and clothes container, for dumping mixed washing solution from said pre-mixing tank to said casing and clothes container in a pre-selected cycle of washing.

3. In a laundry machine of the character described,

an elongated casing having a perforate clothes container therein, means for supplying washing solution to said casing comprising a pre-mixing tank extending along said casing for substantially the length thereof, a dump valve extending substantially the length of said pre-mixing tank for dumping the pre-mixed Washing solution from said tank to said casing, a dump valve extending substantially the length of said casing for dumping spent wash water therefrom, a series of sealed supply drums, each drum containing a different concentrated washing chemical, a separate supply tank associated with each drum, fluid connections from said drum to the associated supply tanks, an air line having connection with said supply drums for supplying air under pressure to said drums, an air line having connection with said supply tanks for pressurizing said supply tanks at a lower pressure than the pressure in said supply drums, supply lines connected from said supply tanks to said pre-mixing tank and maintained filled with Washing chemical under pressure by the pressure in said supply tank, and individual measuring devices in said pressure lines for supplying measured quantities of concentrated chemicals to said pre-mixing tank at predetermined intervals in the cycle of operation of the laundry machine.

4. In a formula control for laundry machines and the like including a clothes container, an elongated casing en closing said clothes container, a detachable supply drum for concentrated washing chemical, a supply tank connected with said drum, a pre-mixing tank in association with said casing, for supplying mixed washing solution to said casing and clothes container, individual air pressure lines connected with said supply drum and said supply tank for supplying air under pressure to said supply drum and said supply tank at different pressure, the pressure'of said supply tank being lower than the pressure of said supply drum, means for delivering Water to said pre-mixing tank, a measuring device having communication with said pro-mixing tank for delivering a measured amount of concentrated washing chemical to said pre-mixing tank for mixture with the water therein, a fluid pressure line connecting said supply tank to said measuring device, mixing means in said pre-mixing tank formixing the washing solution therein, and valve means.

for dumping washing solution from said pre-mixing tank to said casing and clothes container in predetermined cycles of operation of the machine.

5. In a formula control for laundry machines and the like including a elongated casing having a clothes container rotatably mounted therein, a sealed supply drum for concentrated Washing chemical, a source of air under pressure having connection with said supply drum for supplying air under pressure to said drum at a preselected pressure, a supply tank in association with said supply drum, a fluid connection from said supply drum to said supply tank, a fluid connection from the source of air under pressure to said supply drum for supplying air under pressure thereto at a lower pressure than the pressure in said supply drum, a pre-mixing tank, a source of supply of diluting water in communication with said mixing tank, a fluid connection from said supply tank to said casing and clothes container including a measuring device for supplying a measured quantity of washing solu tion to said mixing tank for mixture with water supplied to said mixing tank from said source of supply of water and valve means aflording communication between said pre-mixing tank and said casing.

6. In a formula control for laundry machines and the like including an elongated casing having a clothes container rotatably mounted therein, a supply drum for washing chemical, a source of air under pressure having connection with said supply drum for supplying air under pressure to said drum, a supply tank, a fluid connection from said supply drum to said supply tank for supplying concentrated washing chemical under pressure to said supply tank, a fluid connection from the source of air under pressure to said supply tank for supplying air under pressure to said supply tank at a lower pressurethan the pressure insaid supply drum, a premixing tank in association with said casing and clothes 7 container, valve means associated with said pre-mixing tank for supplying water to said pre-rm'xing tank to a predetermined level, othervalve means connected between said pre-mixing tank and casing for supplying a pre-mixed washing solution to said casing and clothes chemical under pressure from said supply tank, for sup plying a measured quantity of washing chemical to said pre-rnixing tank, for mixture with water prior to dumping into said casing and clothes container.

1,639,368' Carroll Aug. 16, 1927 1,775,293 Pfening Sept. 9, 1930 1,897,435 McKnight Feb. 14, 1933 1,954,261 Pierce Apr, 10, 1934 I 2,030,394 Pierce Feb. 11, 1936 2,647,384 Erlanger Aug. 4, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 857,970

France Apr. 29, 1940 

